substrate

[kingtortugatron]

Hello is their a certain depth the substrate should be

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

What species? What size tortoise?

 

[kingtortugatron]

Sulcata and its three inches but it likes to burrow

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Also this depends on the depth of you tank.
I prefer enough that my tort can just burrow under the surface.
3 to 6 inches is good.in my opinion.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

My Sulcata liked to burrow in hay, but he never dug an inch outside. Not all Sulcata burrow....

 

[Careym13]

My substrate is about 5 inches deep. The bottom couple of inches are just plain top soil followed by several inches of coir and then I throw some moss here and there and in the hides so that my torts can burrow into that if they want. They don't really burrow into the soil ever.

 

[Sandy Martinez]

Question: once read that you can put about 3 layers of newpaper under the substrate for an indoor closed enclosure? Good idea?

 

[Careym13]

Question: once read that you can put about 3 layers of newpaper under the substrate for an indoor closed enclosure? Good idea?

I have not heard of doing this. What would be the reason? I would guess that overtime it would start to mold if moisture made its way down to the bottom.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Question: once read that you can put about 3 layers of newpaper under the substrate for an indoor closed enclosure? Good idea?

I wouldn't.
Can't see the benefit myself and the paper would get wet and moldy which could lead to respiratory problems.
Oh, as i type Careym posts the same idea.
I agree.

 

[Sandy Martinez]

Don't know why the newspaper just read that on a tortoise info site so thought I'd ask. Good points on why not to. Thx!